Leader: Missionary's parrot needs wing and prayer to get here
If life's tough for the parrot, consider how it now must be for Mr Alexander who has agreed to take up the case. The solution is not so simple as stuffing Elmo into a diplomatic bag. He has to tread warily in the field of international relations, without ruffling feathers or causing a squawk.
But even if he negotiates the Nigerian bureaucracy, another giant hurdle looms: clearances for Elmo to settle in Britain. Animal rights activists, taking one look at Scotland's weather in recent days, may well argue that while our skies may be leaden, this is no place for an African Grey. Where in Culloden are the bananas and the coconuts to make Elmo feel at home? Oh dear. It may be a simpler task for Mr Alexander to engineer a permanent improvement in Scotland's weather.